Job Picture Bright for Finance, Accounting

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Chief financial officers are apparently in a hiring mood. According to the latest quarterly survey from Robert Half International, 7 percent of CFOs expect to bring on full-time accounting or finance employees in the third quarter, while 3 percent anticipate reductions in personnel.

The staffing firm noted that for the second quarter, the spread between hiring and cutbacks was just a single percentage point.

The national poll includes responses from more than 1,400 CFOs from U.S. companies with 20 or more employees.

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Of survey respondents who plan to hire in the third quarter, 43 percent cited business growth as the primary factor driving their decision; 24 percent attributed their hiring plans to rising workloads.

“Companies are expanding and moving forward with new projects,” said Max Messmer, Robert Half’s chairman and chief executive officer, in a press release. “As a result, firms are seeking accounting personnel — in particular, staff and senior accountants — to support growth initiatives.” Messmer added that “demand is especially high” for individuals with Securities and Exchange Commission reporting experience.

The most promising regions for job hunters are out West; in the Pacific and West South Central states, a net 7 percent of CFOs expect to add accounting and finance staff in the coming quarter. Robert Half especially noted a premium on experienced accounting and finance personnel in the Pacific region.

By industry, construction executives are by far the most optimistic about their hiring plans, according to the survey; 19 percent anticipate hiring full-time accounting and finance employees in the third quarter, while none expect cutbacks. Hiring activity in the finance, insurance, and real-estate industries is also expected to be above average.